Petunia plant named ‘Kumiyama 4’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Kumiyama 4’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; and medium-sized light violet-colored flowers with darker violet-colored random sectors and venation.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KUMIYAMA 4’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kumiyama 4’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Kyoto, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Petunia cultivars with large and uniquely colored flowers.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Kyoto, Japan in April, 2002, of a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number NA-15, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with the Petunia×hybrida cultivar Avalanche White, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Kumiyama 4 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Kyoto, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Kyoto, Japan since April, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Kumiyama 4 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kumiyama 4’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kumiyama 4’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.     -   3. Medium-sized light violet-colored flowers with darker         violet-colored random sectors and venation.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more spreading than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have shorter internodes than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia have smaller flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and the parent selection differ in         flower color as plants of the female parent selection have         violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Avalanche White. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the cultivar Avalanche White in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more spreading than and not as         decumbent as plants of the cultivar Avalanche White.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the parent selection differ in         flower color as plants of the cultivar Avalanche White have         white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Sunsurfbv, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/264,781. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Kyoto, Japan, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunsurfbv differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more spreading than and not as         decumbent as plants of the cultivar Sunsurfbv.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Sunsurfbv.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunsurfbv differed         in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kumiyama 4’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Kumiyama 4’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the autumn in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were grown for three months with one plant per 13.5-cm container. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Kumiyama 4. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Petunia×hybrida identified as code number NA-15, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Petunia×hybrida cultivar Avalanche             White, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three weeks at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright, outwardly             spreading and mounding plant habit. Freely branching; about             13 lateral branches develop per plant. Vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22.5 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 18 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic to obovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate to obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137C; venation, 144B.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B; venation, 144B.         -   Petiole length.—About 3.4 mm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 1.7 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from upper leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with             usually about 30 flowers developing per plant. Flowers not             persistent. Flowers face upright or outwardly. Flowers             fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Petunia initiate             and develop flowers about two to three weeks after planting.             Long flowering period; flowering commences naturally during             the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the             summer until the fall in Japan; flowering continuous.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 3.8 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Cylindrical. Length: About 7.4 cm.             Diameter: About 3.7 cm. Color: 150C tinted with N77A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 3.1 cm. Petal width: About 3.5 cm. Petal shape:             Broadly obovate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin:             Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Tube texture: Sparsely             pubescent. Color: Petals, when opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 92D; random sectors and venation,             N87A. Petals, when opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 92D; random sectors, N87A; venation, 79B. Throat:             145C; venation, 79A. Tube: 145C; random sectors, N87A;             venation, 80A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             1.4 cm. Sepal width: About 3.2 mm. Sepal shape: Elliptic.             Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.             Angle: Upright and outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A tinted with N77A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per             flower. Stamen length: About 2.5 cm. Anther shape:             Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 2 mm to 1.5 mm. Anther             color: 10D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 8D.             Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About             3 cm. Style color: 144D. Stigma shape: Transversely             ellipsoidal. Stigma color: 144A. Ovary color: 144A.             Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Petunia. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Kumiyama 4’ as illustrated and described. 